Alternate campaign idea

[finarvyn]

I'm running a Dresden Files game for my group and I thought I would share my idea.

I live near Chicago and am most familiar with that setting, so I wanted to keep my game somewhat local. Although we're near Chicago, I don't want to put myself in a situation where Harry and his immediate crew would be around to interfere.

My solution? Play the game in another time. I chose 1920's Chicago.

1. Jim hasn't said much about the past in his setting. This gives me a lot of freedom to establish a setting of my own while still remaining "true" to the series, assuming nothing significant happens that would change the future (our present).

2. This gives me a gangster element as a backdrop. Sort of like having several Marcones running around. It gives my players the opportunity to play roles in an era that I have never run as a campaign. (I can dust off TSR's Gangbusters RPG for inspiration, plus I have a copy of the 1920's Investigator’s Companion for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu to assist me.)

3. I assume that major groups such as the White Council, Black Court, White Court, Red Court, Nevernever, etc. would have existed back then as well. Since supernaturals seem to live longer than mortals, it would be possible to use some of those same characters as NPCs, only younger. I also assume that they were plotting and scheming against each other the same as today.

4. It gives me my familiar setting without the hassle of the characters from the books getting in the way. It also means that I don't need to try to stay "current" as Jim writes new books.

Anyway, I thought that others might be interested in my reasoning if they are thinking of setting up their own campaigns. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

[rdonoghue]

Heh.  Sounds awesome.

Conveniently, I got off a recent research jag, as Spirit of the Century, our pulp game, is set in the 20s so at the very least I can suggest a few resources.

The Investigator's Companion is probably the second most useful RPG reference I have on the period, so excellent start.  If you want to pick up something else, the new Pulp Hero is magnificent.  I have no love of the Hero rules system but it's about 2/3rds  setting background and ideas. If you can get the writer's guide to the 1920s, you will have hit the jackpot, but it's a bit hard to find at any reasonable price.

On the web, I figure I'll cut out the middleman: Here's the link to my del.icio.us pulp tag, which has a ton of useful period links.

http://del.icio.us/rdonoghue/pulp

Even if you're not going pulpy, a lot of those links are just history and background, useful to mine for a game.

Anyway, I think this is a great idea.  it's a fun era, and it really lets you make the game your own, so  good luck, and I hope you'll let us know how it goes!

-Rob D.

[Valiar Marcus]

Can I come guest in as Frank Lloyd Wright?

[finarvyn]

Rob -

Thanks for the input, the resources and the link! I'm looking forward to Spirit of the Century and really hope I can blend it with my '20's Dresden game as soon as it comes out. (My current campaign is mostly based on FATE, so I think the conversion should be quick.)

I was really going back and forth between the '20's and the '30's. The twenties have the whole gangster and prohibition angle, but the thirties are more "Indiana Jones" in feel. The twenties won out because I wanted to avoid the whole WWII/Nazi thing for this campaign (because when I put WWII into a game I want it to be a big influence, not just a backdrop).

I believe that pulp encompasses both decades, so similar resources should be valuable. I'm not familair with Pulp Hero (I just never got into the Hero system) but on your recommendation I'll see if I can find a copy at my local game shop or on e-bay.

What I've worked on so far is:
1. terminology and lingo for the 20's.
2. technology and prices for the 20's.
3. a general overview of the 20's; things like a timeline, notes on society at the time, and so on.

I'm looking forward to this campaign.

[M T Fierce, h.d.]

I'm running a Dresden Files game for my group and I thought I would share my idea.

I'm currently designing a Dresden Files-inspired game based around the Colorado Springs area. (The theory is that one of the so-far unnamed Alphas moved; that's the character my little sister wants to play, and I think my husband will be playing someone who was tempted by a Denarian.)  We're using (for the moment) Stellar Games' "Nightlife" system, and I'm trying to introduce some of the native 'wildlife' and old mining tunnels and the like to the idea.  The War continues.

[Darrington]

Ooh, that sounds positively interesting.  I know I'm not much of a history buff myself, and it'd be some work to place myself in such a time frame, but that would be quite neat to play.   Of course, there's just something about modern-day settings that get my attention more than anything lately.  I blame Jim.  If it was done right, though, I'm sure it'd be a blast even for me.

AD

[taralon]

Just as general backgound and such, I thought I'd point you in on another series, which might come in very hand when contemplating the time period.  That being P.N. Elrod's Vampire Files series.  Takes place in Chicago in the 1930s, and has I belive the feel you're looking for for the game overall.  Organized Crime and the fact that the stockyards were a major industry at that point in time...

I'm running a Dresden Files game for my group and I thought I would share my idea.

I live near Chicago and am most familiar with that setting, so I wanted to keep my game somewhat local. Although we're near Chicago, I don't want to put myself in a situation where Harry and his immediate crew would be around to interfere.

My solution? Play the game in another time. I chose 1920's Chicago.

1. Jim hasn't said much about the past in his setting. This gives me a lot of freedom to establish a setting of my own while still remaining "true" to the series, assuming nothing significant happens that would change the future (our present).

2. This gives me a gangster element as a backdrop. Sort of like having several Marcones running around. It gives my players the opportunity to play roles in an era that I have never run as a campaign. (I can dust off TSR's Gangbusters RPG for inspiration, plus I have a copy of the 1920's Investigator’s Companion for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu to assist me.)

3. I assume that major groups such as the White Council, Black Court, White Court, Red Court, Nevernever, etc. would have existed back then as well. Since supernaturals seem to live longer than mortals, it would be possible to use some of those same characters as NPCs, only younger. I also assume that they were plotting and scheming against each other the same as today.

4. It gives me my familiar setting without the hassle of the characters from the books getting in the way. It also means that I don't need to try to stay "current" as Jim writes new books.

Anyway, I thought that others might be interested in my reasoning if they are thinking of setting up their own campaigns. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

[finarvyn]

Thanks for the tip. I've seen copies of those books in the bookstore but they never grabbed my attention enough to buy one. I didn't realize that they take place in 1930's Chicago!

Very nice indeed! 

[The Corvidian]

Here is a twist, why don't you have it where Dion O'Bannon has ties to the Leansidhe(Lea).

[glmagus]

Man, that sounds like fun. Mix in some of the Cthulhu horror and you're looking at a great game. The Dresden game I run is set in Florida and two of the three PC's are Miami Vice style cops, I swear I had nothing to do with that part!

[Hawkfu]

wow, I love these ideas! The 1920s Chicago is especially cool sounding.

wlg

[iago]

wow, I love these ideas! The 1920s Chicago is especially cool sounding.

Yeah.  1920's also means you might be able to cross-breed with some of the concepts in the Spirit of the Century game, too.  That'd be wacky.

[Slife]

Remember, in the 1920s you could mail order tommy guns from the Sears catalog.

[Nemo]

The '20's are a cool setting, most of my Call of Cthulhu games are based there.  But I'm planning a Dresden inspired game for the Victoriana RPG.  Can't really beat a d6 system for simplicity.  Now all I have to do is round up some players.  I know I can probably rope some people into an email game.